


Finding Family

by kml8990



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Brief Mention of Suicide, Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Fluff, Found Family, Light Angst, M/M, Soft Carlos Reyes, Worried TK Strand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28826280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kml8990/pseuds/kml8990
Summary: Being constantly surrounded by firefighters makes Carlos feel like an outsider. He can’t relate to their stories, or understand their inside jokes. But he’ll put up with it any day of the week if it meant TK was in his life.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 6
Kudos: 181





	Finding Family

**Author's Note:**

> Most fics focus on TK. I wanted to focus on Carlos for a moment

If there was one thing that Carlos prided himself for it was his lack of self-consciousness. Sure when he was younger his struggled with his self-esteem. Most people do. Especially a young boy who realizes that he likes boys instead of girls like what is expected. As he got older and found a career in law enforcement, Carlos became more sure of himself and more comfortable in his own skin, despite the challenges of being a queer cop in Texas. There were moments when he had doubts. Doubts in what kind of person he was, doubts in relationships, doubts in his ability to be a good cop. But for the most part, Carlos was in a place in his life where he was comfortable with who he is and content with his life as a whole.

When he and TK began their cat and mouse game, Carlos’ self-confidence took a small hit. Not because he through TK should be begging him to be his boyfriend; but because he didn’t know how to make TK feel safe with him. To trust him. It always seemed like the man was ready to run at the slightest comment or action. TK was a Rubik’s Cube. As soon as Carlos solved one side, the other three became more jumbled than ever. He was willing to follow the other man’s lead, but he just wish he knew how to make it easier. 

After TK got shot and he originally told Carlos that he wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore, Carlos took the hint. In that moment he was ready to swallow his pride, accept defeat, and move on. He and TK tried it, but it wasn’t what the other man wanted. He wasn’t what the other man wanted. It would take a minute, but he’d heal from the disappointment. But then the accident happened and the solar flare…the next thing he knew TK was holding his hand and telling him he was ready to make them a team. That they made a good team. The change of heart and the surety in TK’s eyes and voice just about gave Carlos whiplash, but he wasn’t going to question it. 

This relationship with TK was the most meaningful relationship Carlos had ever had. There had been past boyfriends and hookups over the years, but no one had captured his whole entire heart like TK had in a matter of months. They hadn’t said the three most important words yet, but they showed it to each other in various ways. TK not being willing to say the words yet didn’t make Carlos doubt the way that he felt.

What did make Carlos feel self-conscious, however, was being surrounded by firefighters all of the time. Loving TK meant loving his family as well, and that family was the rest of the 126 fire crew. Carlos enjoyed each and every one of them. He and Paul had bonded before TK was even his boyfriend, and the others had treated him kindly when visiting TK in the hospital after he was shot, but now if he wanted to be with TK, they came along with him.

Mateo, Paul, Marjan, Judd or even Capt. Strand as individuals didn’t make him second guess himself, though he had yet to feel one hundred percent comfortable showing any kind of PDA with TK in front of the fire captain, but that wasn’t because he was the fire captain, it was because he was his boyfriend’s father. No, the people didn’t make Carlos feel self-conscious, it was the brotherhood of being a firefighter, the fact that Carlos wasn’t one. 

There were many a gatherings where Carlos simply sat quietly and listened to the fire crew chat. There were stories that he loved hearing about but couldn’t relate to. There were inside jokes that weren’t explained to him. There were somber recollections of things that happened in the field and celebrations of others. No matter how hard he tried, Carlos would never be able to really relate to this group of first responders, and it made him feel like an outsider - something he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

That was one of the big differences between the AFD and APD. Firehouse crews spend hours together. They didn’t only work alongside of each other, but they cooked together, cleaned together, trained together, even slept together in the same room during overnight shifts. With APD, most officers rode alone. Partners were a thing of the past. Most times two officers rolled on the same call, but It wasn’t always the same officers each time. They often did their shifts alone in their car, but knew how to work together should the moment arise when it is needed. APD officers stood up for one another, always, but they weren’t a family like the firehouse crew was. 

TK did his best to include Carlos in everything, even translating acronyms or stories for him to make sure he understood. And he loved just being with TK and watching him enjoy his time with his found family. That part of it would never change. He just often wished that he had more to contribute when they were all together. 

Little did Carlos know that the fire crew already saw Carlos as family.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

When the call came over the radio about a distressed man holding firefighters at gun point at the scene of a house fire, Carlos’ heart dropped. There were hundreds of fire stations in the AFD, but the address given was definitely in the 126’s jurisdiction and his boyfriend had already lost an argument with a bullet once.

Carlos accepted the call and rolled to the scene, another police cruiser backing him up. When he pulled up, he was thankful to see the entirety of the 126 safe behind their fire engine, while the man in question ranted and raved from inside the smoke filled house, a gun clearly in his hand. Carlos drove ahead of the ladder truck, before exiting his vehicle in a crouch and pulling his gun. He kept an eye on the anxious man as he moved from behind his police cruiser to behind the fire engine, keeping his gun drawn and lowered as he checked in,

“Everyone okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning the crew briefly before returning to the agitated man.

“We’re all good,” Captain Strand reassured the officer, “He got one shot off, but it ricocheted off the mirror of the truck, no one is hurt.”

Carlos nodded, allowing himself a moment to lock eyes with TK. It hadn’t been that long since he was shot, surely another brush with a bullet brought up some pretty terrible memories. TK’s green eyes met Carlos’ brown, and the firefighter nodded, giving Carlos a strained but reassuring smile. 

“Ok, based on what you can see, how bad do you think the fire is?” Carlos asked, watching as the other officer on scene set himself up behind his own cruiser, gun locked on the man inside the house.

“It’s hard to tell, but it doesn’t seem too involved at the moment. But it will spread fast. We need to get in there,” Judd said from beside Carlos. 

“Ok. I’m going to see if I can talk him down at all,” Carlos explained as he peeked around the front of the engine and began to call out. “Sir, my name is Officer Reyes. I would like to talk to you.”

“Just leave me alone!” The mad called back, tears evident in his shaky voice, “Just let it burn. Let me burn!”

“I can’t do that sir,” Carlos called back, “Why don’t you put down the gun and we can talk about it. Work out whatever it is you’re going through.”

“I just want to be left alone,” the man called back through tears.

“Sir, I’m going to come to you,” Carlos called out, getting ready to reveal himself from behind the truck.

“Carlos!” TK’s urgent voice had the officer hesitating. He turned to look behind him at his boyfriend and the rest of the 126 crew, all staring at him in disbelief. “What are you doing?”

“I get paid to get shot at, you don’t,” Carlos pointed out, “If we don’t get in there soon the fire could spread to other houses and we don’t want that. Let me do my job, so you can do yours.”

With that, Carlos turned his full attention to the man inside the house. He eased his way forward, talking to the man the entire time as he stepped onto the porch and then inside the home. The 126 watched with baited breath as smoke billowed out of the doorway Carlos had just entered. Marjan and Paul stood on either side of TK, a hand on each of his shoulders while they all watched the officer who had become a part of their make shift family risk his life. 

For the crew outside it had felt like hours, but in reality it was only about five minutes before Carlos reemerged from the smoking home, the man in handcuffs, gun secured in Carlos’ belt as the officer coughed into his elbow, his face smeared with soot.

“You’re all clear Captain,” Carlos called out, allowing the other officer on the scene to take possession of the prisoner so he could focus on breathing in lung-fulls of clean air. 

Everyone stood frozen for a moment before Captain Strand began giving orders. TK steered his boyfriend to the waiting ambulance for oxygen therapy while the others pulled hoses off of the truck to begin putting out the flames. TK stayed quiet by Carlos’ side as Tommy listened to the officer’s lungs and checked his vital signs. He wasn’t sure what to say. Between getting shot at for the second time in 6 months, and then watching his boyfriend run in towards the man with the gun, TK was having a hard time reigning in his emotions. 

It didn’t take long for them to knock the fire down, and soon the crew was wrapping up, all coming outside to check on Carlos, who had been given a clean bill of health from Tommy after some oxygen.

“I’m glad you’re okay, son,” Captain Strand said seriously, placing a hand on Carlos’ shoulder and squeezing.

“That was some stunt you pulled,” Judd chastised. 

“It wasn’t a stunt,” Carlos protested as TK burrowed into his side. “You guys run into burning buildings for a living, I run towards guns. I try to stay as far away from them as I can, but sometimes that isn’t an option.”

“I think what Judd is trying to say, is that you scared us,” Paul explained, and Carlos watched as everyone nodded in agreement. That was the first time that it really registered to Carlos that this rag-tag bunch of firefighters cared about him as well, not just because was TK’s boyfriend, but because he was Carlos. 

“When you do dumb shit like that, just keep in mind that you’ve got a family to come home to,” Marjan stated, punch Carlos lightly on the arm before the crew went back to work, packing up their gear and sealing the residence.

Carlos cleared his throat as he tried to pull in his sudden emotions at the realization that he was family in their eyes, “I should go. Get my paperwork done,” he said, pressing a kiss to TK’s temple, as the man was still wrapped around him. He felt TK nod against his shoulder before pulling away, his emotion filled green eyes staring at Carlos.

“Come by the station after shift?” The man asked, “Have family dinner with us?” 

Carlos swallowed hard before nodding and pressing a lingering kiss to TK’s forehead, “I’ll be there,” he agreed. 

TK nodded and pulled back so Carlos could step away. The officer didn’t get more than a few steps before TK grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, “I love you,” the brunette whispered in the space between them, making Carlos’ heart speed up and tears prick at his eyes.

“I love you too, Tiger,” He replied with a soft smile, leaning forward to peck TK’s lips and pulling away before he was tempted to do more. 

It took all he had in him to walk away from his boyfriend in that moment, but his steps were determined as he made it back to his police cruiser. He would finish his paper work accurately but speedily and take a quick shower at the station to get the smoke and soot off. After all, he had a family waiting on him for dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @kml8990


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